6 [lent by the present owner]. The original support has been lined and its tacking margins have been removed. Because of Jacobszs paintings devotional content, it is tempting to assume that it was intended for the Mennonite Church (Vermaning) he cofounded, and where he delivered the first sermon on 7 August 1631; see the biography of Lambert Jacobsz in this catalogue. [2][3] ), Paul suggested that if one charged for his service in the priesthood, he would abuse his power in the gospel. (1 Cor. Although the story of Naaman and Elisha was infrequently depicted by other artists, Jacobsz painted episodes from this story at least six times in the late 1620s and 1630s, including three scenes with small-scale figures and three with large-scale figures.2 One of Jacobszs early portrayals of this subject, which is known only from a black-and-white photograph (fig 2), has compositional elements similar to those seen in Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts, such as the interaction between Naaman and Elisha. I can hire me some servants. How does a fan in a turbofan engine suck air in? 9:18.) Sent a servant out to me and then tells me to duck in that Jordan River. Elisha's refusal of Naaman's gift in our passage, and that this expla-nation should be sought in the prophet's judicial deliberations over his servant, Gehazi, incurred after the latter had acquired Naaman's gift (vv. 20-7). Naaman was a Syrian warlord, who suffered from a nasty skin condition, probably leprosy. Get a roundup of new Word by Word articles in your inbox each Friday. Pieter de Grebber, Belshazzars Great Feast, 1625 (Museum Schloss Wilhelmshhe, Kassel). Some paint layers were thinly applied, as in sections of the brown background and the plum-colored textile held by Naamans attendant. Then when his mentor was taken up into the whirlwind, Elisha became the leader of the sons of the prophets. The word is transliterated in the Septuagint (Vatican) and (Lucian) , while the Alexandrian codex has ' , apparently reading . Now, Naaman is not an Israelite. 1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. 8), which the Rabbis regard as an allusion to Naaman's bathing in the Jordan; the appellation "Moab" is a play on the word "abi" (= "my father"), by which Naaman was addressed by his servants in II Kings v. 13 (Num. In fact, he almost lost out on his healing because he did not want to follow the instructions of Elisha to bathe in the Jordan River. ( 2 Kings 5:25-26 ). So when the king of Israel saw Naaman come in, knew who he was, this captain of the Syrian host and all, and when he gets this note, "I want you to heal this guy of his leprosy," the king just became excited and concerned.He said, "Look how this guy is trying to pick a fight. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel, Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular, Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular, Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not, Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular, Preposition | third person masculine singular, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Naaman, by the report of a captive maid, is sent to Samaria to be cured of leprosy, He refusing Naaman's gifts grants him some of the earth, Gehazi, abusing his master's name unto Naaman, is smitten with leprosy, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT History: 2 Kings 5:16 But he said As Yahweh lives before (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg). To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. He's going to set himself up. This painting was long believed to have been painted by Lambert Jacobsz, but recently has been attributed to Jacob Backer.6. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10), and so we must not allow the love of money to interfere with the calling of God on our lives. Elisha understood Naamans request and granted it without hesitation. His painting does not focus on Naamans recovery from leprosy or on Elishas refusal to be rewarded, but rather on Naamans conversion to the true faith.13. When he returned home, Elisha found out and punished . How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? It includes articles on history, literature, religion and theology, text, versions, language, and the bearing on the Old Testament of archaeology and the study of the Ancient Near East. Naaman was happy to give Gehazi the gifts and then he continued on his journey. Because of this, Christian commentators have often interpreted the history of Naamans story as a typological prefiguration of the Christian church rite of baptism, in which Gods grace is freely given to a person who is not quite yet a Christian: in the end, it is a message of Gods grace going to meet the person where the person is, regardless of merit, unconditionally, asking nothing in return. What's it going to hurt?" (2 Ne. Help us purchase electrical generators for churches. After Naaman departed, Gehazi ran after him and asked him for gifts. 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. All rights reserved. II Kings v. 2). When Naaman hears what the servant tells him, he gets quite angry, and decides to go back home unhealed. 2,Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. Elishas hands are exceptionally beautifully shaped and contrast strongly with the usually somewhat clumsy hands painted on other original work by Lambert Jacobsz. Now I told you that a fellow that would have this kind of a gift would have problems. Naaman proceeds with the letter to King Joram. Elisha the prophet healed Naaman of his leprosy by the power of the Lord (verse 14), and Naaman praised God and offered Elisha a gift, which Elisha refused to accept (verse 16). Superbook whisks the kids off to meet Naamans servant girl and follow Naamans story through to his amazing cure of leprosy. He thought Elisha should have accepted all of the gifts. But Elisha said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing. Jacobsz acted as an art dealer in Leeuwarden, which allowed him to have close ties with artists and dealers in other cities. The regents of the Leprozenhuizen in Haarlem and Amsterdam seem to have used Naamans story to show their integrity, as city councils often fall back on stories from classical history. Why must a product of symmetric random variables be symmetric? Not only is Elishas gesture of refusal reminiscent of that in the Leiden Collection painting, but Gehazi similarly stands behind the prophet in both works. [1] When the Hebrew slave-girl who waits on his wife tells her of a Jewish prophet in Samaria who can cure her master, he obtains a letter from King Ben-Hadad II of Aram to King Joram of Israel in which Ben-Hadad asks Joram to arrange for the healing of his subject Naaman. When we come before the Lord in our time of prayer, it's important for us to humble ourselves like Naaman did to receive favor from God. (2 Kings 5:20. This excerpt about Naaman in the Bible is adapted from the original article in Dr. Heisers book I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible. Now Naaman, the general of the king of Aram, was a prominent man before his lord and respected, for through him had the Lord given victory to Aram; and the man was a great warrior, and he was a mezora. He did not want money, wealth, power, or prestige to interfere with the call of God that was on his life. The balding and aged prophet, in contrast, is dressed soberly in a brown habit. New versions are added only when a substantive change to the narrative occurs. Lambert Jacobszs interpretation of the story is consistent with Mennonite beliefs. 5 Insights for Interpreting the Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. Naaman, standing outside of Elisha's house, was furious when he was greeted by a messenger instead of the prophet himself. ( ). Angered, Elisha curses his servant, and the servant has Naaman's leprosy for the rest of his life. The king of Israel didn't know what to do, yet Elisha (Eliseus) sent a message to the King, advising that the King tell Naaman to come to see him. This biblical passage is full of stark contrasts. Naaman believed that There [was] no God in all the earth but in Israel (2 Kgs 5:15) and wanted to return to his homeland with holy ground. Truce of the burning tree -- how realistic? Christian theology has always depicted Naaman as the paradigmatic case of Gods will to save people we would normally considered as being unworthy of salvation: Naaman is not even an Israelite, and doesnt share the prophets faith. He focused particularly on Naamans gaze as he quietly reflects upon the prophets reasons for refusing to accept his gifts of appreciationthe moment of revelation when Naaman came to understand that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.. The painting is on a fine plain-weave canvas support. First and foremost, Naaman's healing is not Elisha's gift: it is a gift freely bestowed by the grace of God, and Elisha is well aware of that. He was a great warrior and highly respected because he had given victories to Aram. Can we simply say no, thanks, you keep it to that uncle who has sacrificed some of his time and money to give us (again) a pack of three handkerchiefs for Christmas? Since Jacobsz did not execute large figure pieces after Backers departure, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts must have been painted between 1628, shortly after Backer arrived in Leeuwarden, and 1633, when he returned to Amsterdam. In 2 Kings 2:9 what does it mean for Elisha to want "a double portion" from Elijah? Atelierpraktijk in Leeuwarden omstreeks 1630, De Vrije Fries 89 (2009): 6792. Acts 8:20.) Copyright Aleteia SAS all rights reserved. 34). It. 2 Kings 5:4. He was going to buy some oxen, and then he's going to buy some sheep. The dirt which is Yahwehs domain is holy ground. Scattered pinpoint losses are also found in the more thinly painted areas. And came whistling in. Nevertheless, the now-lost painting represents an episode that immediately precedes the one Jacobsz depicted in the Leiden Collection painting. The artist began the composition on top of the ground by painting in part of the architectural setting, leaving a reserve for figures such as Naaman, Elisha, and Gehazi. But Elisha said, "The LORD is the one I serve, and as surely as he lives, I will not accept any gift." Naaman tried hard to make Elisha take the gift, but he refused. This painting was first attributed to Lambert Jacobsz (and dated around 1630) by Jasper Hillegers; see Jasper Hillegers, Lambert Jacobsz (15981636) en zijn werkplaats: Atelierpraktijk in Leeuwarden omstreeks 1630, De Vrije Fries 89 (2009): 6792. Tanuma, Tazria' (end), however, says that Naaman was stricken with leprosy for taking an Israelitish maiden and making her his wife's servant (comp. The leprosy that was upon Naaman is going to be upon you and your family. Publications are increasingly becoming available in electronic format (CD-ROM and/or online editions).BRILL is proud to work with a broad range of scholars and authors and to serve its many customers throughout the world. He knew the request came from a sincere theological change of heart. thinks the king referred to was Jehoahaz, while Schenkel ("Biblical Lexicon") suggests Jehu, but the general view is that it was Jehoram. When the painting first appeared on the market in 2005, it was given to Pieter de Grebber.8 As Albert Blankert rightly recognized, however, this attribution is not tenable for stylistic reasons, despite the fact that Jacobsz knew De Grebbers work.9 Blankert also pointed out that the way in which the old Elisha and young Naaman face each other is comparable to the confrontation between Elisha and Gehazi in the Hannover painting.10 Other arguments reinforce the attribution of the Leiden Collection painting to Lambert Jacobsz. Gehazi asked for (and received) silver and clothing from Naaman, after lying about the arrival of two men of the sons of the prophets. . He was even used by God to accomplish His will (2 Kings 5:1). I am grateful to Jasper Hillegers for alerting me to these similarities. Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox, The three things you need to know everyday, Highlights from the last week to keep you informed. He was a man without many options and so God became his only hope. Previous commentary: Next commentary: About this commentary: are made available by the generosity of . Simon Kick, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts, 1644 (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemldegalerie); Werner Sumowski, Gemlde der Rembrandt-Schler, vol. The name "Naaman" means "nice guy!". 78. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. And so the king of Syria Benhadad sent a formal letter to the king of Israel [and sent Naaman down] ( 2 Kings 5:1-5 ). Naaman then traveled to Samaria to see Elisha, but the prophet never received him: he just sent a messenger to meet Naaman and his entourage by the door. To his amazement, Elisha's cure worked"His flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy" (verse 14). oil on canvas (151 249 cm) 1661 But he was a leper. In v5, we read that Naaman only took with him money (gold and silver) and clothes, so I don't see how Elisha could have refused the other gifts if Naaman didn't even bring them (and how could he bring an olive orchard with him? cat. How to combine multiple named patterns into one Cases? 15, 5). Now Naaman was the captain of the host of Syria, he was a great man with his master, he was honorable, because the LORD had actually helped him to subdue many nations. 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